Mumbai, Sept. 4 -- The rally returned to Indian equity markets on Thursday as the government's move to rationalize Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates boosted investor sentiment.

The positive momentum raised hopes for a strong pre-Diwali rally, with major indices opening sharply higher.

The Nifty 50 index opened at 24,980.75, gaining 265.70 points or 1.08 per cent, marking a strong surge in the benchmark. The BSE Sensex also jumped 882 points to open at 81,450.55, registering a gain of more than 1 per cent.

Experts said the present conditions are favourable for a bull run, and any further reduction in tariffs could help markets scale new all-time highs soon.

Banking and market expert Ajay Bagga told ANI that Indian markets are well pos...